Gripping mechanism



S9. CH. n mw ,WGm LmJ .Wd H IeA n.1 ,.Gmu/ am 2 ,nuv l 5 er u .A

@9, ,H1 4 N mv\ 1.x l: a Y 0. .hh NN. 5 ,n w f 5 N x n r|.\\\ hw www MU Patented Aug. 5, 1924,

RICHARD LESTER WTLCOX, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTCUT, ASSIGNOR T THE WATER- BURY FARREL vEOU'NIDRY AND MACHINE COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTI- CUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

GRIPPING MiioHANIsivr.

Application ledJai-iuary 15, 1923. Serial No. 619,838.

To all whom t mayV concern.' v

Be it known that I, RICHARD Lns'rnn VViLcox, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at iVaterbury, in the count-y of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain nevv and `useful Improvements in Gripping Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. f

This invention relates to new and improved gripping mechanism` more especially as applied to mechanism designed to have a rotary movement in a'single direction.

It is the object of this invention, among Yother things, to provide a device that will permit the movement of a member in one direction, but will grip and hold the same against movement in the opposite direction, such mechanism being so arranged as to apply no friction toV said member When moving, to so design the same that it will be relatively powerful in its action, but occupy the minimum space, may be shifted Vso that the said member may, if desired, be moved in both directions, and to provide simple and convenient means to keep the frictional surface clean and free from oil, chips or other foreign matter.

To these and other ends my invention Y consist-s in the gripping mechanism having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as Will be hereinafter described a nd more particularly pointed out in the claims. Y i

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals of reference designate like parts inthe several figures;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a heading or upsetting machine with my improved gripping mechanism applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged end elevation oi the gripping mechanism; n

.Figure 3 is a sectional elevationvthereof, taken generally upon line 3-3 of Figure 2; and o i Figure et is a sectional detail plan view of some of the parts, taken generally upon line 4-4 of Figure 3.

This gripping mechanism is particularly adapted for use with feed mechanisms new Well known and common in the art of heading and upsetting machinery, an example of such feed mechanisms being shown in Letters Patent No. 1,253,322 for feed mechanism, dated 'January 15, 1918, and also in Letters PatentfNo. 1.309.749 for feed mechanism, dated' July 15, 1919.

My improved gripping mechanism is therefore shown as applied to the feed mechanism of a heading machine, merely for the purpose of illustration because it is equally as Well adapted With any other type of mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the frame of a heading` machine, 11 a rock lever journaled therein, 12- an arm fixed to said shaft having a block 13 that is adjustable therein "by means of a rod 14. y

The feed mechanism as 'shown herein consists in part of atroll frame 15 Within which. are rotatably mounted the roll shafts 16 and 17. An intermittent rotary move ment is imparted to these shafts and the feed rolls (not shown) attached. 'thereto through a .gripping mechanism that is actuated by a carrier 18 rotatably mounted upon the roll shaft 16 and actuated from the arm12 by the connection 19 operatively associated' with the block 13. Y

Forming part of said gripping mecha nism is a ring 2O which moves in a rotary path in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 While the gripping mechanism is in engagement, but is stationary when the carv rie-r 18 moves in the opposite direction to again-engage the parts and continue the movement of the ring 20.

y, Then the carrier 18 is moving about the axis of the shaft 16 clockwise, that is opposite to the direction ofthe arrow, no movement should. be given the ring 2 0. To hold this ring against such movement is one oi' theobjects of my invention.

Heretofore it hasbeencustomary to en circle the ring 20 by a strap` containing leather or asbestos material as a friction Wearing surface, the. `ends of which are adn justably Vjoined by a bolt encircled by a spring, Which passes through the free ends,A

i tal center of the roll 28 is below that of the' of the strap. An example of this type of friction device is shown in the above patents. This fraction is constant, when in fact friction is only required between the feed movement of the feed rolls and thus becomes adrag upon the power required to operate the heading mach-ine.

.W'ith my improved mechanism I have overcome these and other objections to the present form of friction device by providing a device that is in action only when 1equired, is a single unitary structure of relatively small size, comparatively light in weight, requires no power in its operation Aand can be so controlled as to allow, if

necessary, the movable member to travel in opposite directions.

As shown, my mechan-sim consists essentially of a bracket 2l, fixed to the frame 10 by bolts 22 and dowel pins 23, or the like, and having` an opening 24 in one edge thereof, to the rear wall 25 of which is fixed a plate 26 upon which is movable a cage 27 having a roll 28 mounted transversely therein. This cage is held against lateral movement by the plate 26 and a spring 29 bears against the underside thereof and exerts its tension so as toy move the same upwardly and thereby maintain the periphery of vthe roll 28 in contact with that of the ring 20. rIhis spring, however, is only of sufficient strength to maintain the weight of the cage and the roll, thus applying practically no. friction toy the surface of the ring 2O by reason thereof.y

It is obvious that when the ring 20 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in Figures 1 and 3 that the roll 28 will rotate inthe cage 27 without interfering therewith, but instantly grips and holds the ring 2O against movement in the opposite direction. This results from the fact that the horizon- Y rotary path in one direction without interference by my improved gripping mechanism, but instantly the parts become locked if any attempt is made to reverse the direction of the rotation thereof.

Occasionally it is desirable that the ring 20 may be permitted to rotate in both directions, as when material is being fed by hand, for adjustment of the parts and for other reasons.

'Io provide means for moving the roll 28 so that it will be held out of engagement with the periphery ofthe ring 20, I have provided a lever 30 that is pivoted at 3l to the bracket 21, and having an arm 32 that projects inwardly and over the top of the cage 27.

This lever is connected by the link 33 with the handle 3ft pivotally mounted upon the frame 10 by the stud 35. Then the handle 84tis moved from the full line position to the dotted line position of Figure 1;, the lever 30 is rocked so that the arm 232V thereon engages the top of the cage 27 and moves and holds the same in its down position against the tension of the spring 29, at which time the roll 28 is out of engagement with the ring 20. V

The recess 24 in the bracket 21 is, closed on both sides after the parts are assembled therein by the, plates. 36. The details of the mechanism that actuates the ring 2O in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 are not shown or described herein, but it may be controlled in part by a lever 37 pivoted to the roll frame 15 having arms 38, 39 and 4l() forming part thereof, the arm l0 being in turn connected with the handle 84 by the link al. IVhen this lever is in the position shown by full lines in Figure Al, the gripping mechanism has a make and break conneetion with the ring 20, so as to impart an intermittent rotary movement thereto, and at the same time the roll 28 is in such position as to prevent the return movement thereof. However, when the handle 34E is moved to the dotted line position in Figure l, the lever 37 is in the dotted line position shown in the same figure, at which time kthe gripping mechanism has been so shifted as to destroy the make and break connection with the ring 20 and ncamotion is impartedto said ring during the movement of the carrier 18 and at the saine time and to save motion of the handle SLI the roll 28 is also moved to such a position as to prevent a gripping action thereon.

It is desirable that the peripheral face of the ring 2O should be free from chips, oil, etc., and for this purpose a holder 42 is provided that is secured to the bracket 2l by the bolt t3 or similar means and within which is a wiper la of felt or othermaterial which contacts with the said peripheral face and removes therefrom all foreign mattei'.

lVhat I claim as new and` desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In mechanism of the character described; a rotary member: means for preventing the movement of said member in one direction, comprising a gripping device having an independently mounted roll that contacts with a portion only of an exterior wall scribed; a rotary member; means'for preventing the movement of said member in one direction, comprising a gripping device, hav ing an independently mounted roll that contacts with a portion only of an exterior wall ci' said rotary member, with movably mounted carriage means for said roll whereby the roll may have movement-in two directions independently ot the rotary member; and positive means for moving the carriage 1n one direction. p

3. In mechanism of the character described; a rotary member; means for preventing the movement of said member in one direction, comprising a gripping device having an independently mounted roll that contacts with a portion only of an exterior wall of said rotary member, with a carrier member for mounting said roll whereby it may have movement in two directions independently of the rotary member; and means for moving the roll carrying member positively in one direction and by yielding means in another direction. Y

4. In mechanism of the character .de scribed; a rotary member; means for preventing the movement ot saidY member in onefdirection, comprising a gripping device having an independently mounted roll that contacts with a portion only of an exterior `Wall of said rotary member, with independently movable carrier means for mounting said roll whereby it may have movement in two directions independently of said rotary member; and manually actuated means for moving the carrier member in one direction.

5. In combination with a rotary member; of means for gripping and holding the same against rotation in one direction and comprising an element having a rounded surface mounted below a horizont-al line that extends through the axis of said rotary member; and a member within which said element is rotatably mounted movable in a path at substantially a right angle to said horizontal line.

6. In combination with a rotary member; of a carriage movably mounted in a part independent of said rotary member; in a path substantially parallel with one of the radii of the rotary member an element, having a rounded surface, journaled in the carriage and held in contact with an exterior wall of said rotary member with a yielding pressure applied against the carriage.

7 In combination with a rotary member; ofV a 'carriage movably mounted in a part independent of said rotary member; a roll rotatably mounted in said carriage and held in contact with an exterior wall of said rotary member with a yielding pressure.

8. Incombination with a rotary member; of a block connected with a iixed part; a carriage slidably mounted upon said block; and a roll rotatably mounted in said carriage, the periphery of which is held in contact with an exterior wall of said rotary member.

9. In combination with a rotary member; of a block connected with a xed part; a carriage slidably mounted upon said block; a roll rotatably mounted in vsaid carriage, the periphery of which is held in contact with an exterior wall of said rotary member; and means for positively moving said carriage so as to hold the periphery of said roll out of contact with said exterior wall.

l0. In combination with a rotary member; of a block connected with a fixed part; a carriage slidably mounted upon said block; a roll rotatably mounted in said carriage, the periphery of which is held in contact with an exterior wall of said rotary member; and means for positively moving said carriage so as to hold the periphery of said roll out of contact with said exterior wall, comprising a lever having an a 'm thereon that engages said carriage.

ll. In combination with a rotary member; of a block connected with a fixed part; a carriage slidably mounted upon said block; a roll rotatably mounted in said carriage, the periphery of which is held in contact with an exterior wall of said rotary member; and means for positively moving said carriage so as to hold the periphery of said roll ont of contact with said exterior wall, comprising a manually actuated lever and having an arm that engages said carriage.

l2. In combination with a rotary mem ber; of a carriage movably mounted in a part independent of said rotary member; a roll rotatably mounted in said carriage and held in contact with an exterior wall of said rotary member with a yielding pressure; and means for preventing endwise movement of said roll within said carriage.

13. In combination with a rotary member; of a block connected with a lixed part; a carriage slidably mounted upon said block; a roll rotatably mounted in said carriage, the periphery of which is held in contact with an exterior wall of said rotary member; means for positively moving said carriage so` as to hold the periphery of said roll out of contact with said exterior wall, comprising a manually actuated lever and having an arm that engages said carriage; a handle; and an operative connection between said handle and lever.

14. In `mechanism of the character described; a rotary member; and means for preventing the movement of said member in one direction, comprising a gripping device having an independently mounted roll that contacts with a portion only of an exterior wall of said rotary member; and means for cleaning said exterior wall of foreign substance, comprising a pad of Jfelt or the like, held in contact with said exterior wall at a point adjacent to said gripping device. and in such relation thereto. that said exterior wall passes said cleaning mechanism just prior to its engagement with said gripping device.

15. ln combination with a rotary member; of means for gripping and holdingv the same against rotation in one direction and comprising an element having a rounded surface; a member with which said element is connected and moved therewith; means for holding said member against lateral movement; and independently actuated means 'for moving said member in one direction whereby said element is held out of contact with said rotary member and is ree to rotate in both directions.

16. In combination with a rotary member; of means for gripping and holding the same against rotation in one direct-ion and comprising an element hav-ing a rounded surface; a member with which said element is connected and moved therewith; yielding means for moving the member in one direction and holding said element in frictional engagement with the r-otary member; and independently actuated, positive means Vfor moving said member in the opposite direction, whereby said element is held out of contact with said rotary member and the latter is tree to rotate in both directions.

17. In combination with a rotary member; of a block connected with a xed part; a carriage slidably mounted upon said moving said carriage so as'to hold the periphery of'said roll out of contact with said exterior wall.

18. The combination with a rotary member; of a block connected with a Fixed part; a carriage havinga recess in one face thereof and into which projects said block, a recess in the opposite tace at substantially right angles to the irst mentioned recess; and a roll rotatably mounted in said latter recess, the periphery of which is held in contact with an exterior wall of said rotary member.

19,. The combination with a ro-tary member; of a block connected with a xed part; a carriage having a recessy in one face thereof and into which projects said. blocl,'and arecess in the opposite face at substantially a right angle to the first mentioned recess; a roll rotatably mounted in said latter recess,the periphery of which is` held in contact with an exterior wall et said rotary member; and a spring between said carriage and an adjacent wall exerting its. tension against said carriage to move Vthe same in one direction. Y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed myy signature;

RICHARD LESTER uurloon. 

